Battle of Gonzales

The Battle of Gonzales (2 October 1835) was the skirmish that began the Texas Revolution. The battle occurred when a small Mexican Army cavalry force was sent to the town of Gonzales to remove a defensive cannon from the townspeople, believing that the locals might use it against the Mexicans in the case of a war. The Texans, who were given the cannon by Mexico in order to fight the Comanche, refused to hand it over, and a 150-strong militia force was formed to defend the town. The Mexicans were fired upon by the Texan rebels, killing 2 dragoons; the Mexicans retreated after a very short battle, and the Texans celebrated. These were the first shots of the revolution, and an army led by President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna himself would march into Texas to crush the rebels.